Rove: I ‘Never’ Said Hillary Had Brain Damage, but Health Could Be 2016 Issue

By Andrew Johnson —
May 13, 2014

Karl Rove set the record straight on supposed comments he made about Hillary Clinton’s “brain damage,” saying he “never used that phrase” but rather raised questions about the former secretary of state’s health should she choose to run in 2016.

“This will be an issue in the 2016 presidential race, whether she likes it or not,” Rove told Fox News, pointing to the customary process of presidential candidates providing their health records. “Get ready: the New York Times is going to be asking a lot of tough questions about every candidate’s health — they always do and it’s going to be an issue.”

Rove conceded that he did not know the state of Clinton’s condition and health, but was simply raising the issue of her past “serious health episode” ahead of her decision to run for what would potentially be an eight-year commitment.

“My other point is a more personal one,” he said. “When you go through an incident like this, any presidential candidate has to ask themselves: ‘Am I willing to do this for eight years of my life — run for two years, and then serve for eight?’”